The dental mirror is a standard part of the dentist's tool kit, providing both direct and indirect views of the patient's mouth during examination and treatment, and aiding in retraction of the muscles of the tongue and inner oral cavity. The dental mirror is an obligatory implement in operative procedures, typically held by the dentist in his or her left hand, while holding another tool in the right.
Recently, intraoral video cameras have been developed, primarily to aid in patient instruction and education. Such cameras enable the dentist to view an enlarged video image of the patient's teeth, as well as to record the image and allow the patient to view the image, if desired. Furthermore, it is possible to save images before and after treatment on a computer, or print them on a video printer. Intraoral cameras known in the art include both stand-alone types and miniature cameras for attachment to a piece of dental equipment, such as a mirror or drill.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,626, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a dental inspection and display device including a fiber optic light guide and micro-camera for attachment to a dental inspection mirror. The device couples to the handle of the mirror and captures the image reflected off of the mirror. The camera and light guide are unwieldy and tend to block the dentist's view.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,502, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an intraoral camera having the general shape of a dental mirror. A camera head located at the distal end of the handle, inside the mouth, captures a direct image of the teeth, instead of the dentist's mirror. The camera head may also be attached to a piece of dental equipment, such as a dental drill, and has facilities for defogging and lighting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,416, which is incorporated herein by reference, also describes a stand-alone electronic video dental camera, shaped similar to a dental mirror, with lighting and defogging facilities. In one embodiment, a mirror is attached to one side of the camera head, inside the mouth. This arrangement is cumbersome, however, and the image captured by the camera will generally not coincide with that seen by the dentist in the mirror.